SAP BI, Analytic Updates

Newtown Square, PA – SAP has released features and updates to its SAP BusinessObjects BI Solutions and the new SAP Visual Intelligence software, a suite of user friendly analytical tools. SAP made the announcements from its North American headquarters and in a live virtual event carried to other events and the public.

SAP has made its well-received in-memory database, called HANA, a rallying point for several technology strategies including social media and business intelligence and also supports Apache Hadoop. The SAP BusinessObjects Explorer is one obvious place to exploit the power and speed of in-memory data with dynamic visualizations that respond in near real time to updates and dimensional changes in the data. More conventionally, SAP Visual Intelligence provides views to Excel and CSV files and collaborative connectivity on the desktop.

Feature pack 3 for the SAP BusinessObjects business intelligence suite pointedly contains enhancements for mobility, which has become a focal point of decentralization and user service at virtually all business intelligence software providers. The SAP update contains collaborative and self-service upgrades designed for touch screen use and compatible with Apple and Android formats.

SAP has made a point of stepping away from its image of complex consoles and interfaces, and tablet devices have already demonstrated the future of user behavior, said Adam Binnie, SAP’s global VP for Business Intelligence Solutions. “We think of mobility as the first place we are going to do everything,” he said.

SAP executives repeatedly referred to five underlying pillars of BI strategy: “Core” or foundational reporting and visualization; “Creative” ease and self-service to different environments; “Mobile;” “Extreme,” referring to big data, real time and advance analytics; and “Social” in the collaborative decision-making process.

Binnie said SAP is dedicated to helping customers maximize these investments with products, service and support that fit an increasing range of departmental and small to large business sizes and needs.